I’ve changed my mind – if I’m reincarnated, I don’t want to come back as my dog, who spends an hour a day eating things he isn’t supposed to and the other 23 asleep. Instead, want to come back as Andy Tauer, who’s funny and thoughtful and who – whenever I pester him with a scented question via email – responds from yet another travel spot in Europe. The impetus for last week’s email was the arrival of an unexpected, rain-damp package containing samples of … Tauer Perfumes’ new scent, Zeta!
Here is a list of notes, compiled from his info sheet – lemon, bergamot, a sweet orange note, ylang, orange blossom absolute, steam distilled neroli, linden blossom, honey, rose (this may be a honey-sweet rose), orris, Mysore sandalwood, vanilla.
Zeta is “a linden blossom theme” – illustrated by a haiku:
Linden shade in June—
Sweet rose petals and the light
Of Syracusa.
Zeta’s part of Andy’s new Collectibles series: “low volume perfumery without any compromise, limited by the availability of raw materials that may change from year to year.” Andy emailed me about the raw materials and cost – apparently the natural materials in Zeta are both pricey, regarding the materials I’m going to quote him:
You know, March, this is difficult to communicate as many perfume loving friends never had the chance to smell real Neroli, real linden blossom extract, real vanilla CO2 extract (although this they might know from the vanilla pods). They never had chance to smell real Sandalwood from Mysore and what happens when you bring the Sandalum alba and the double distilled Sandalwood from Australia, Sandalum spicatum, together…
It’s very soft and diffuse – it’s not the huge incense, rose, orris, etc. of some of the line. Also, it seems to be minus that amber-y Tauer-ade base that frequently turns up. It’s perfect for our April showers – a quirky floral done by/for someone who’s not interested in smelling like a strawberry, a kiwi, a drunken cherry, or some nice fresh laundry musk. There’s quite a bit of citrus at the top, and the neroli… okay, that part feels like Andy.
The linden’s lovely. I may as well confess here that I’ve never smelled an actual linden tree in bloom, and my idea of what linden smells like is based on linden scents like d’Orsay Tilleul, Provence Sante Tilleul (the French word for linden blossom), I think Pre de Provence made a linden scent too? Anyhow, to me, linden is the crossroads of hay, lemon, beeswax and honeysuckle. It’s there in abundance in Zeta. The sandalwood’s relatively subtle, giving the scent more dimension and a woody-sandpaper-velvet texture in the base, rather than beating me over the head. It is less tenacious than some Tauers (Marocain, anyone?) but still lasts all day.
I have three sample sprays of this, courtesy of Andy, to give away, please leave a comment naming your favorite Tauer (if you have one) to be in the draw, just because I’m curious; all comments are in the draw; winners chosen at random. Comments are closed; I’ll announce winners next week.
Never tried any Tauers? I love his discovery set – that little metal case is cute as a bug’s ear, as my Oklahoma-born daddy says…
My favorite Tauer…it’s a hard one. I have 6 of them. Probably…Une Rose Chypre. And Reverie au Jardin… :-)
Ive not tried any Tauer scents, would love to though. Thanks.
In my never ending search for a true linden scent I would love to try this. I have yet to find a scent that comes close to real linden. I was lucky to live in an apartment building for a few years with a huge linden tree right outside my 3rd story deck and bedroom. Oh what heaven!! Provence Sante comes close but still doesn’t capture it – there is a lack of both a lushness and lightness to the scent that is missing.
I’ve only tried a few, but so far my favorite Tauer scent is Reverie au Jardin—I love lavender! :)
At the moment, nmy favorite Tauer is le Maroc Pour Elle. I sure would like to try this new one!
L’Air du Desert Marocain is definitely my favorite, although my roommate loves Orange Star. I spread my perfume love to her :)
I’ve smelled his lavendar garden scent only so it must be my favorite. Though due to the notes and the concept I think orange star would be my fav if I could sniff the whole line. Thanks!
yum….sign me up-this might well be my first Tauer…sounds delish….
Andy Tauer has kept my hopes up concerning modern perfumery. It’s so easy to think that we’re going to hell in a handbasket when all the IFRA regulations come out, followed by 800+ scents a year of which I really only want to smell 5.. then I smell once of his scents and realize we may yet be able to save civilization!
My favorites are the incense based scents, currently Rose Incense. Rose Chypree does well in cooler weather for me, but the heat can make it almost overwhelming. A friend of mine with whom I shared this, however, loves it in all weather, so I’m sure there is just something about my skin.
LONE STAR MEMORIES. PLEASE ENTER ME IN THE DRAW
L’air du desert marocain is my current favorite, and since it’s a new love I’m looking forward to seeing how it does in the heat of the summer. I’d love to be entered in the draw, thanks!
I love Incence Rose and Une Rose Chypre (and the two have been fighting over who will get adopted/bought first!).
Please enter me I would love to try this!
Oh I would like to try this. After reading about it on Mr Branch’s blog I have gotten my hopes up about it. My favorite tauer is L`Air du Desert Marocain.
Oh please enter me in the draw too! My favorite is L’Air du Desert Marocain, but I adore “the Tauerade” that permeates so many of his fragrances. It just thrums on my skin.
Maroc Pour Elle. Please enter me in the draw. Perhaps Zeta will also be a true woman’s scent.
I looooooove Incense Rose. But I think I like Carillon Pour un Ange more. I have a sample of Rose Chypree waiting to be tried too. Woo!!
Lonestar Memories is my favorite Tauer–although I wear L’dDM more often, and Maroc Pour Elle, more often still. I keep my sample of LM in my desk drawer at work, for when I am tired and need me a horse, a trail, and some coffee–but must stay and work at computer and monitor. I have been thinking a lot about the linden note in perfumes–did you know Tabac Blond has linden? Long ago, I mixed my own herb teas and tisanes, and went out to shop for linden to use in a tea mixture to bring calm and good dreams. I found an herb store in Oakland, with branches of linden in brown paper bags, gathered, the proprietess said, by the light of the Full Moon. Uh, ok, I said.
I would have to toss-up between L`Air du Desert Marocain & incense Rose. I love them both – Oh – and Un Rose Chypree, also love that. I also like to buy my Tauer scents direct from his website, I like to think he would make more money that way
My new favorite is l’air DDM, which by some coincidence i re-tried for the millionth time this last week and finally got it and loved it. Perfect for cold blustery spring. I also love l’eau d’epices, which is so radiant and warm and lovely.
Thanks, Miss March and Andy T.!
Bottleworthy: L’Air du Desert Marocain, Une Rose Chypree, Incense Rose, Incense Extreme
Decantworthy: Reverie au Jardin, Orange Star, Vetiver Dance, Lonestar Memories, Orris, L’eau d’Epices
Can’t wear: Le Maroc Pour Elle, Carillon Pour un Ange
I have full bottles of both L’air and Incense Extreme. Looking forward to trying Zeta. :)
I adore Andy — the nicest man in perfumery — and his lovely fragrances. Orris is my favourite, hands-down, sadly (perhaps my favourite perfume of all)> Though I do love L’Air du Desert Marocain and Maghreb and am fond of Incense Extreme.
Please enter me in the draw — I will always want to try anything Andy creates.
Hi! I’m a big fan of L’Air du Desert Marocoin, ever since I received it in a swap a while again. Love the ‘Tauerade’ base. Thanks!
This sounds absolutely lovely – neroli is one of my favorite notes – and I’m lemming a sniff already! I love L’Air Desert Morocain, but can’t wear it. Just love it though, and Reverie de Jardin as well. The man’s a genius, a true artist, and hearing that he’s a nice guy too – well, it just doesn’t get much better than that.
Oh, my all time fave would have to be his Orris. I was lucky enough to have gotten one. Please enter me in the draw as well.
I’ve tried Desert, and I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. Just because TS gave it 5 stars? But I’d love to try some others; maybe it would change my mind…:)
My favorite is Reverie au Jardin – love it! Thanks for the drawing.
Hey, can I join in? I haven’t tried the more recent Tauer’s but have several of the older ones I love… L’Air, Vetiver Dance, and Incense Rose are all faves…
Sounds interesting! My favorite Tauer is Vetiver Dance. I’ve tried Lonestar Memories and so wanted to love it, but it is very harsh on me.
My fave Tauer is L’Air Desert Marocain (sp?). Unless it’s Zeta, which I haven’t tried yet (obviously).
Ooh, this sounds absolutely gorgeous! Neroli and linden mmmm…
I haven’t tried all of the Tauers (yet!) but I do love L’air du desert Marocain and really like Lonestar Memories on my husband – sadly on ‘me LM smells like I have just escaped a raging fire :-(
Thanks for entering ‘me in the draw!
I’m such a putz,but it completely blows my mind,that you know someone like AT…how wonderful is that!!!??(am I drooling?)…I LOVE Maroc pour Elle,…am lusting for the set you mentioned…count me in on the draw,please…carry on perfumistas…..
Hi March,
I am a big fan of maroc pour elle during the fall and winter, I wore it on a trip to boston in October and now its totally connected to that trip, and love wearing L’air during the summer. I live in Texas, and when I travel out west during the summer to see family, its crazy how it gets along with dry 100 degree heat.
Please put my name in the hat! I adore linden. My favorite of Andy’s perfumes so far is L’Air du Desert Marocain, one of my top 10 perfumes of all time in fact, but I have not tried most of his more recent ones, although a few sniffs of Une Rose Chypree made me swoon madly.
I wish I had a favourite Tauer…still wanting to smell some!
please enter me in the draw :)
Thanks for the draw!
My favourites are L’Air du Desert Marocain and Une Rose Chypree.
I love Linden Blossom. I used to park my car under some Linden (we call them Lime) trees at my old place of work, and the blossoms would stick to my windscreen!
K
The only Tauer I’ve tried is LADDM and didn’t care for it. But I do need to try more of the line and love reading his blog – he is just a funny, generous, interesting guy. I would love to try this one – thanks for the draw!
Hi, Everybody! My favorite Andy is, alas, Orris. Wouldn’t it be great as a Collectible? Of the extant fragrances, my favorite would be either Une Rose Chypree or Incense Rose–or both. It’s hard to choose.
Please put me in the draw. My mother used to give me linden flower tisane when I couldn’t sleep. It never did put me to sleep, and I’m sure anything by Andy wouldn’t either.
L’air du Desert Marocain! IT was the first Tauer I smelled, and I still thinks it’s unique in its class. I trying to decide last night which scent I would most want to smell on a ridiculously sexy man, and for me, I think it would be Marocain.
Une Rose Chypree is my favourite with L’Air second. The rest don’t work on me personally though I appreciate the skill in them and think they are all interesting and unusual. I have high hopes for this one though.
Please enter me in the draw! I have 3 Tauer’s, but my favorite is probably Carllion pour Ange. So interesting and beautiful and strange in a good way. I also adore Incense Rose. Thanks!
ooh want to try! i love andy’s perfumes, it’s so hard to pick just one… top three are l’air du desert morocain, incense extreme, and incense rose.
Sounds beautiful! Linden in perfumery is my favorite quest, as it is so hard to find something that conveys the beautiful quality of this material. I am currently enjoying Aftelier’s Honey Blossom for its lovely linden notes.
Incense Rose & Le Maroc Pour Elle – but I think Rose Vermeille would tie if I had some to whiff!! Yes, my head is stuffed in a rosebush right now…:-)
I’ve never tried any Tauer perfumes, but I would love to be entered in the draw. Many thanks!
I *love* Andy Tauer. Current favorite is Incense Rose.
L’Air du Desert Marocain is a friend’s favourite. Alas it reminds me of Lysol, even on her (it was a scrubber on me). Fortunately, she applies it really lightly so I get only subliminal antiseptic whiffs.
I’ve never been able to make up my mind which one I like best. I first liked Reverie au Jardin, but then I would also put L’Air du Desert Marocain on my wrist and drift off to sleep sniffing that, until I used up the sample. More recently I liked Un Rose Vermeillie….Heck, I just don’t know. Maybe it will be Zeta? Enter me in the drawing, so I can find out.
I haven’t tried any Tauer scents since Une Rose Chypree – really should rectify the situation. My favorite keeps changing: L’Air seems to be the most frequent favorite, the others in the current favorite rotation are Vetiver Dance, URC, and Incense Rose.
Please enter me in the draw!
I’ve been looking for a Linden perfume to love and can tell from your description that Zeta will be perfect! I’d love to try a sample, but might buy a bottle unsniffed since I haven’t tried a Tauer that I couldn’t wear. I’ve actually been saving up for this one since Andy started working on it!
If I win any of the draws for Zeta I’ll probably buy Incense Rose. My absolute favorite so far is L’Air du Desert Marocain :)
I have many favorites from this line. My top three are Incense Rose, Lonestar Memories, and Un Rose Chypree. I’m really looking forward to sampling Zeta, and have a feeling it will be my next full bottle purchase.